Saturday, January 02, 2010
In the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, Congress began to make preparations for meeting remotely in the event of another threat to the nation’s capital. But even without a crisis, would having an e-Congress be so bad, asks Conor Friedersdorf at AOL’s Politics Daily.
Skeptics of an e-Congress claim “deliberative bodies require physical proximity” and argue “technology isn’t an adequate substitute for face-to-face interactions.”
But one powerful argument in favor of an e-Congress is that it would reduce the influence of lobbyists on the legislative wing of the federal government. With lawmakers stationed at home in their districts, they would spend more time with their constituents and away from influence peddlers.
Friedersdorf says it would be best to start by sending House members home, and leave the Senate in Washington so it is “removed from constituent passions and able to serve as a check against power in the White House.”
-Noel Brinkerhoff
The Case for an e-Congress: Who Says Proximity Ensures Good Governance? (by Conor Friedersdorf, Politics Daily)
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